Wednesday, 17 December 2008

Well, it seems there is an overwhelming consensus that the Featured Artist slot would be well recieved by readers. So, now it's time for you to tell me who in the world of stamping (not just UK) you would like to see as a Featured Artist?

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

I asked Kate, winner of the 2008 Stamper of the Year competition (that's one of her winning entries on the right), to tell us a little bit about herself. Here's what she sent to me:

"I live in North Yorkshire with my partner, Pete, and our son, Matthew. I work full time as a finance manager at the British Library – no jokes about creative accounting please! I love nature, bright colours, gothic and other fancy architecture, singing (very out of tune) and chocolate as well as crafting. Over the years I’ve done dress making and knitting (before they were fashionable again) and cross stitching before moving onto paper crafts.

I have been stamping for about 10 years (or more like 40 if you count potato printing and lino prints at primary school). The first stamp I bought was actually for my son who as a toddler had a favourite story about lady birds. After that I bought some kids alphabet sets with pictures and made flash cards and alphabet sheets, then Disney stamps to do craft with him. Gradually I have progressed to more grown up themes and making cards, swapping ATCs and the like.

What I love about stamping is that, with no artistic talent or training, one stamp enables me to create everything from a professional focal image to a component in a back ground. I don’t often do the same thing twice, I’m always experimenting and trying something new so the versatility to work with an individual stamp in a variety of media and to combine stamping with other crafts is appealing too. My overall favourite stamp company are Crafty Individuals. I love flowers, birds and the like which feature prominently in their collection. I also like Paper Artsy’s Ink and the Dog and Urban Snapshots ranges and Invoke Arts for something a little out of the ordinary. I have also just discovered Darkroom Door stamps which have the added benefit of coming in gorgeous tins.

A year ago I joined a fantastic Yahoo group called Alter-Native whose membership of kind, generous artists have (unknowingly) supported me whilst I developed the confidence to try out new things and to share my work with others via monthly skinny book page swaps and altered book round robins. Entering the competition was a continuation of the personal challenge, both to try some new projects and to have the confidence to push my work out to a wider audience. Although I do make quite a few cards to raise money for charity, my style of work doesn’t lend itself to neatness and precision. You won’t find matting and layering with straight, even borders or painstaking shading in my work! I therefore decided to focus on non-card entries and started by thinking of media I thought I could successfully stamp onto; the rest was something of an experiment to see what developed.

My immediate reaction to winning the competition was to jump up and down, squeal loudly and giggle a lot! That was followed by frequent checking in the magazine to make sure I hadn’t imagined it. Now the prize goodies have arrived and it has really sunk in, I have to admit to feeling quite proud of myself."

Friday, 12 December 2008

...until Christmas - panic has well and truly started to set in and I simply MUST get making cards or I am not going to make last post!!! I made a couple last night including this one for the daughter of my other half's best friend. I used Toodles and Binks from Stamp Galaxy as I thought she was just perfect for a little girl (she's a really big stamp too, so not much more was needed). I also used some truly ancient Papermania paper, a Stamps Away! greeting and a Penny Black swirly stamp. She is coloured with Twinkling H20s.

Random number thingie decreed that I will be swapping ATCs with Katy this month. Email me your address details to cs@traplet.com so we can arrange to swap :). Ooohhhh aren't ATCs fun!

Thursday, 11 December 2008

It's ATC swap time again - this month's theme is Christmas again. I don't often do cute, but there is something about Christmas which brings out my fluffy side! So this month's swap is created with a cute little mousey by Penny Black.

I hope someone would like to swap? Please leave me a comment if you would.

Tuesday, 9 December 2008

I hope Dyan doesn't mind me showing this, it's a little Thank You card I made for her.

To create the stamped panel, I've sprayed the background lightly with Distress Inks (just in a mini mister with water and a bit of mica-based powder) and then overstamped a pattern onto it. The dragonflies are coloured with yummy Sakura Stardust pens for a bit of shimmer. All the stamps are Squiggly Ink by PaperArtsy.

Better get back to those xmas cards - I'm never going to make last posting day at this rate!

NEW POLL: I have also added a new poll on the right panel there. The last one was interesting and helpful, so I hope you'll help again! I am considering a new feature and am woul like to find in whether it would be of interest.

CHALLENGE: Don't forget to join in the Jan challenge to win a fabulous prize! Christmas cards and Glimmer Mist were made for each other - so no excuses for not playing!

Monday, 8 December 2008

Check out Wendy's blog for a lovely card she has made with the December 'Merry Christmas' cover mount. Clever use of the stamp Wendy! I am so chuffed to see people using the free stamps and am so glad they are useful - so many mags have freebies people just chuck away so I do feel proud to see your gorgeous creations.

OK, that's quite enough gushing from me. Here's another small thing I made with the January Poinsettia cover mount. Not much to say about this one except to note that I didn't have any matching ribbon so I tried Distress-inking a piece of grosgrain - and it worked a treat!

Friday, 5 December 2008

Introducing (drumroll please.......) - the all new Craft Stamper challenge!

This will be a monthly challenge, to encourage you to try out ideas you've seen in the magazine.

This month the challenge is: GET GLAM WITH GLIMMER, based on Rachel Jackson's fabulous Masterclass on Glimmer Mists on page 62 of the January issue. Your challenge is to try out Rachel's techniques or get creative with your own Glimmer Mist ideas.

Everyone who takes part will be entered into a draw to win this fabulous prize - three Glimmer Mists and some gorgeous Glimmer Screens - courtesy of the lovely Linda at LB Crafts. Linda stocks loads of Glimmer colours so if you need some to do the challenge, pop over to her webshop.

To enter the draw, post a comment and blog link to share your creations (or email me at cs@traplet.com if you don't have a blog).

Thursday, 4 December 2008

Blimey, I've had a call already asking for the template for Penny Bearcroft's gorgeous Christmas book! It's not up because the magazine isn't out until tomorrow and it isn't on the Craft Stamper site as yet.

But as you are sooooo keen (glad you like the book, I love it) I've uploaded here for you in the meantime.

Wednesday, 3 December 2008

The lovely Jennie from Artistic Stamper is giving away blog candy every day - yes every day! - until Christmas. She's also inspiring you with daily Christmas ideas too (a lovely inky tag today). Hop on over to theartisticstamper.blogspot.com for more info.

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

January issue is out this Friday, so here's a peek at the front cover. That's Marlene Ashby's fabulous CD mailer card on the front cover - love that project - and there's lots more to tempt you inside. Although there is a Christmas card on the cover, there is plenty of non-Christmas stuff too, if you've already got the festive season done and dusted (you're more organised than me if you have!).

If you still have cards to make, the lovely PaperArtsy poinsettia cover mount will be really useful.

PLUS - I am very excited about this issue as we announce the winner of our Stamper of the Year Competition! Sorry, not allowed to reveal the winners - you'll have to wait for the magazine to come out!!! But there is some gorgeous work in there from our very talented readers, so well done to all the entrants.

Finally, we are launching our blog challenge, which will link in with one of our projects each month. Details will be uploaded here each month on the on-sale date, so be sure to call back on Friday.

Monday, 1 December 2008

I'm back from a wonderful weekend of crafting at Art from the Heart - I had a fabulous time and made lots of lovely things and met some lovely folks too. I didn't manage to finish anything at all, so I don't have anything to show you yet (but some of the projects are on Dyan's blog).

If you need some seasonal inspiration, pop over to Tim Holtz's place - he is doing 12 days of Christmas tags and there will be a new tutorial each day for the next twelve days (plus candy). Definitely worth checking out if you love Sir Tim.

I see I have gained a few more friends over the weekend and as promised the Crafty Individuals Christmas stamp goes to MAX. Email me your details to cs@traplet.com.